Construction Collapse Victim Laid To Rest

By Ashley Coleman
First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A week after his body was pulled from the rubble of the Berkman Plaza II parking garage collapse, 26-year-old Willie Edwards III was laid to rest.
His funeral at the Bethel Baptist Institutional Church Saturday brought together family, friends, co-workers and even those who didn't know him.
For his cousin, Sharon Kirkland, the service was all about honoring a man who wanted to be a great father to his two young children.
"Unfortunately, he wasn't supposed to be at work that day," Kirkland told First Coast News. "He filled in for someone to make extra money for Christmas for the kids. That's the kind of person he was."
Southern Pan Services Superintendent Jim Smith hired Edwards last spring.
"At Southern Pan, we're like a family as far as our company, and we're missing a very vital part of it -- and that's L.B. [Edwards]. He was a very good member of our family, and it hurts," Smith said.
Edwards was working on the parking garage on Thursday, December 6 when it collapsed. Twenty-three people were injured. It took rescue crews two days to find Edwards' body in the piles of cement and plywood. The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
There has been an outpouring of support for Edwards and his family. You can donate to a fund set up at any Vystar Credit Union. The account number is 0702713719.